Image data processing apparatus having functions of dividing the image data, and method of processing image data

Abstract

The image data processing apparatus includes a camera for converting an image of an area to be processed into image data, a function of dividing the image data into divisional image data items corresponding to divisional areas obtained by dividing the divisional areas, and a function of performing predetermined processing for each of the divisional image data items, thereby to detect an abnormal state of the area to be processed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image data processing apparatus comprising: means for continuously receiving an image of a first area to be processed, and for converting the image into a first image data item;   means for dividing the first image data item into a plurality of second image data items corresponding to a plurality of second areas, each one of the plurality of second areas being smaller than the first area;   means for detecting ones of the plurality of second image data items indicating an abnormal state;   means for combining adjacent ones of the plurality of the second image data items indicating the abnormal state, so as to output a combined second image data item; and   means for determining that the first area is in an abnormal state when a number of the second image data items in the combined second image data item is greater than a predetermined amount.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes means for detecting a time-based change in a characteristic amount for each of the second image data items. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes means for detecting a time-based change in an average density amount for each of the second image data items. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes means for detecting a time-based change in a density dispersion value for each of the second image data items. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes means for detecting a time-based change in randomness obtained as a result of differential binarization for each of the second image data items. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes means for detecting a time-based change in a hue amount of a color image for each of the second image data items. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes means for detecting a time-based change in chroma of a color image for each of the second image data items. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes means for detecting a time-based change in brightness of a color image for each of the second image data items. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for generating a recognizable mark in the first area at a predetermined timing;   means for detecting the mark generated by the generating means   means for judging whether the generated recognizable mark is detected when the generating means generates the recognizable mark; and   means for performing a self-diagnosis of the apparatus corresponding to a result of the judging means.   
     
     
       10. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for generating four recognizable marks in the first area at a predetermined timing;   means for detecting the four marks generated by the generating means   means for judging whether at least two of the four marks are detected when the generating means generates the four marks; and   means for performing a self-diagnosis of the apparatus corresponding to a result of the judging means, and determining an abnormality in the first area when the judging means judges that at least two of the four marks are not detected.   
     
     
       11. An image data processing apparatus comprising: means for continuously receiving an image of a first area to be processed, and for converting the image into a first image data item;   first dividing means for dividing the first image data item into a plurality of second image data items corresponding to a plurality of second areas, each of the second area being smaller than the first area;   first detecting means for detecting a time-based change amount in a characteristic amount for each of the second image data items;   second dividing means for dividing the second image data items into third image data items corresponding to a plurality of third areas, each of the third areas being smaller than each of the second areas, when the first detecting means detects the time-based change amount being more than a predetermined value for a number of times exceeding a predetermined number and continuing for at least a predetermined period;   second detecting means for detecting a time-based change amount in a characteristic amount for the third image data items; and   means for determining that the first area is in abnormal state corresponding to the time-based change amounts detected by the first and the second detecting means.   
     
     
       12. An image data processing apparatus comprising: means for continuously receiving an image of a first area to be processed, and for converting the image into a first image data item;   first dividing means for dividing the first image data item into a plurality of second image data items corresponding to a plurality of second areas, each of the second areas being smaller than the first area;   first detecting means for detecting a time-based change amount in a characteristic amount for each of the second image data items;   means for finding those plain image data items from the second image data items which have the time-based change amount in the characteristic amount which is smaller than a predetermined value for at least a predetermined period and are adjacent to other plain image data items having the same characteristics;   means for combining the plain image data items found by the finding means into a combined image data item;   second detecting means for detecting a time-based change amount in a characteristic amount for the combined image data item; and   means for determining that the first area is in an abnormal state based on the time-based change amounts detected by the first and the second detecting means.   
     
     
       13. An image data processing apparatus comprising: means for continuously receiving an image of a first area to be processed, and for converting the image into a first image data item;   first dividing means for dividing the first image data item into a plurality of second image data items corresponding to a plurality of second areas, each of the second areas being smaller than the first area;   first detecting means for detecting a time-based change amount in a characteristic amount for each of the second image data items;   second dividing means for dividing the second image data items into third image data items corresponding to a plurality of third areas, each of the third areas being smaller than the second area, when the first detecting means detects the time-based change amount is more than a predetermined value for a number of times exceeding a predetermined number and continues for at least a predetermined period;   means for finding those plain image data items from the second image data items which have the time-based change amount in the characteristic which is smaller than a second predetermined value for at least a second predetermined period and are adjacent to other plain image data items having the same characteristics;   means for combining the plain image data items found by the finding means into a combined image data item;   second detecting means for detecting a time-based change amount in a characteristic amount for the third image data items and the combined image data item; and   means for determining that the first area is in an abnormal state corresponding to the time-based change amounts detected by the first and the second detecting means.   
     
     
       14. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: means for generating a recognizable mark in the first area at a predetermined timing;   means for detecting the mark generated by the generating means;   means for judging whether the generated recognizable mark is detected when the generating means generates the recognizable mark; and   means for performing a self-diagnosis of the apparatus corresponding to a result of the judging means.   
     
     
       15. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: means for generating four recognizable marks in the first area at a predetermined timing;   means for detecting the four marks generated by the generating means;   means for judging whether at least two of the four marks are detected when the generating means generates the four marks; and   means for performing a self-diagnosis of the apparatus corresponding to a result of the judging means, and determining an abnormality in the first area when the judging means judges that at least two of the four marks are not detected.   
     
     
       16. An image data processing method, comprising: continuously receiving an image of a first area to be processed and converting the image into a first image data item;   dividing the first image data item into a plurality of second image data items corresponding to a plurality of second areas, each one of the plurality of second areas being smaller than the first area;   detecting ones of the plurality of second image data items indicating an abnormal state;   combining adjacent ones of the plurality of the second image data items indicating the abnormal state, so as to form a combined second image item; and   determining that the first area is in an abnormal state when a number of the second image data items in the combined second image data item is greater than a predetermined amount.   
     
     
       17. An image data processing method according to claim 16, further comprising: generating a recognizable mark in the first area at a predetermined timing;   detecting the mark generated by the generating means;   judging whether the generated recognizable mark is detected when the recognizable mark is generated by the generating step; and   performing a self-diagnosis corresponding to a result of the judging step.   
     
     
       18. An image data processing method, according to claim 16, further comprising: generating four recognizable marks in the first area at a predetermined timing;   detecting the four marks generated by the generating step;   judging whether at least two of the four marks are detected when the four marks are generated by the generating step; and   performing a self-diagnosis corresponding to a result of the judging step; and determining an abnormality in the first area when at least two of the four marks are not detected by the detecting step.   
     
     
       19. An image data processing method, comprising: continuously receiving an image of a first area to be processed, and converting the image into a first image data item;   dividing the first image data item into a plurality of second image data items corresponding to a plurality of second areas, each of the second areas being smaller than the first area;   detecting a time-based change amount in a characteristic amount for each of the second image data items;   dividing the second image data items into third image data items corresponding to a plurality of third areas, each of the third areas being smaller than each of the second areas, when the step of detecting the time-based change amount in the characteristic amount for the each of the second image data items detects that the time-based change amount is more than a predetermined value for a number of times exceeding a predetermined number and continuing for at least a predetermined period;   detecting a time-based change amount in a characteristic amount for the third image data items; and   determining that the first area is in an abnormal state corresponding to the time-based change amount detected by the step of detecting the time-based change amount in the characteristic amount for the each of the second image data items and the step of detecting the time-based change amount in the characteristic amount for the third image data items.   
     
     
       20. An image data processing method, comprising: continuously receiving an image of a first area to be processed, and converting the image into a first image data item;   dividing the first image data item into a plurality of second image data items corresponding to a plurality of second areas, each of the second areas being smaller than the first area;   detecting a time-based change amount in a characteristic amount for each of the second image data items;   finding those plain image data items from the second image data items, which have the time-based change amount in the characteristic amount being smaller than a predetermined value for at least a predetermined period and are adjacent to other plain image data items having the same characteristics;   combining the plain image data items found by the step of finding plain image data items into a combined image data item;   detecting a time-based change amount in a characteristic amount for the combined image data item; and   determining that the first area is in an abnormal state based on the time-based change amounts detected by the step of detecting the time-based change amount in the characteristic amount for the each of the second image data items and the step of detecting the time-based change amount in the characteristic amount for the combined image data item.   
     
     
       21. An image data processing method, comprising: continuously receiving an image of a first area to be processed, and converting the image into a first image data item;   dividing the first image data item into a plurality of second image data items corresponding to a plurality of second areas, each of the second areas being smaller than the first area;   detecting a time-based change amount in a characteristic amount for each of the second image data items;   dividing the second image data items into third image data items corresponding to a plurality of third areas, each of the third areas being smaller than the second area, when the step of detecting the time-based change amount in the characteristic amount for each of the second image data items detects the time-based change amount being more than a predetermined value for a number of times exceeding a predetermined number for at least a predetermined period;   finding those plain image data items from the second image data items, which have the time-based change amount in the characteristic amount being smaller than a second predetermined value for at least a second predetermined period and are adjacent to other plain image data items having the same characteristics;   combining the plain image data items found during the step of finding plain image data items into a combined image data item;   detecting a time-based change amount in a characteristic amount for the third image data items and the combined image data item; and   determining that the first area is in an abnormal state corresponding to the time-based change amount detected in the step of detecting the time-based change amount in the characteristic amount for the each of the second image data items and the step of detecting the time-based change amount in the characteristic amount for the third image data items and the combined image data item.   
     
     
       22. An image data processing method according to claim 21, further comprising: generating a recognizable mark in the first area at a predetermined timing;   detecting the mark generated by the generating means;   judging whether the generated recognizable mark is detected when the recognizable mark is generated by the generating step; and   performing a self-diagnosis corresponding to a result of the judging step.   
     
     
       23. An image data processing method, according to claim 21, further comprising: generating four recognizable marks in the first area at a predetermined timing;   detecting the four marks generated by the generating step;   judging whether at least two of the four marks are detected when the four marks are generated by the generating step; and   performing a self-diagnosis corresponding to a result of the judging step; and determining an abnormality in the first area when at least two of the four marks are not detected by the detecting step.